Bird Flu, Millions Die, Preparedness and Funding

Today I read in the Gannett Newspaper local, the front page story about the coming Bird Flu and how millions will die. Of course our local university is doing its Under-Dog, super-hero best to 'save the day' with its research, etc. Then on the back page you get to read how it hasn't mutated (yet!) and of the hundreds of countries in the world, there have been globally only about 100 cases. Of course it doesn't really work out this way, and the nature of the "cases" is interesting, but that's about one per country using rough numbers. Actually less. But 'readiness' read (funding) and 'we aren't promoting fear' are all part of the closer on the frontpage story.

Just the other day I read that in the USA we now have 4 cases of women being dead from taking the latest, FDA pushed fast-track, abortion RU 486 pill. This and the forced abortions in the home country of the Bird Flu, and human cloning without ethics in Korea, just next door celebrated as 'the second coming' and I wondered about a Gannett Newspaper story on the Coming Human Cloning Disaster. It isn't here yet, but it is coming and we must be ready. The UN has called for a ban on all human cloning (this part is actually underreported and TRUE) but we know that big biotech is going to rush into it anyway funded by our tax money because venture capitalists so far do not see a profit to be had or enjoyed by destoying or created millions of human lives for 'higher purposes'. Only forty million intentional prenatal human deaths so far in the USA, and the new drug with its septic shock deaths only has four women (truly) dead this year, but please send the local university pharmeceutical studies and other elitists your tax money to protect us! Millions will die! But we aren't promoting fear, just public awareness and safety.

Oh but the Bird Flu has happened before in human history and many *died* while Bush *lied* (oops, that's another media montra...it just sang-out-of-me so programatically, sorry). Yes, these kinds of horrid judgments and 'acts of God' have befallen us before and we must be prepared. Ever read Genesis 6-9? Nevermind. Gannett won't be able to figure out the reference and will ridicule eternal preparedness.

I do commend research to prevent chemical and biological warfare attacks from being as severe and limiting even hypothetical flu outbreaks etc. I'm glad we have an FDA. But can't people just do their jobs with integrity without all the double-speak, profiting from the 'culture of death' and sing-song alarmist, frontpage, propogandizing?! Guess not.

Evangelicals and Global Warming absolutism iffy?

Which group has it wrong--

1. These evangelicals?

Read New York Times article on the group of evangelicals' statements here.

2. The British?
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8398

The British scientist in the article curiously states that the possible coming ice age in Europe is caused by global warming! Ice Age - Global (not regional) Caused by Global (not regional) Warming(?). I'll bet they all chafe at a human history with a global flood, while buying it on the planet Mars!

Or the Russians?
http://upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060207-041447-2345r

The posturing over the issue of global warming seems to contain a lot of pseudo guilt about economic prosperity. The capacity of human beings to effect worldwide climate change is questionable at best and most likely quite negligible. Some like me are more likely to prefer the Russian explanation. The sun is a weightier factor than anything we mortals are doing. Others have pointed out that volcanic activity (again outside human agency) is yet another humongous factor dwarfing ours.

For a more scholarly view, by a female academic on global warming as an issue and as science, go to: http://www.hillsdale.edu/imprimis/2002/march/default.htm

Thanks K.O. for the good forward of your friend S.'s comments with the great links.

Evangelicals Global Warming and Gospel

What do you make of the new evangelical movement to stop the humanity-caused warming of the globe and equating the necessity of doing so and the truthfulness of the enterprise with the necessity and truthfulness of sharing the gospel? What do you think of how I phrased that question? Is it an honest question based on how they are portraying themselves and if so, what do you think of it/them and equating it -the scientific accuracy of human causation of global warming- with the authority of the gospel?

This equating of authorities strikes me as the kind of civil-religion and weddedness to a 'cause' that has a lot of potential to undermine their authority and the authority of whatever their understanding of gospel might be. Should newer scientific discoveries and measuring sophistication shift current viewpoint, or (tongue in cheek) like when a democrat president is in office and the economy is growing for instance or when the trading in fossil fuels helps 'fund' bigger goverment and bigger research grants for instance, whatever might they do and say and equate with the gospel then?!

I also confess that I wonder about the science and the wisdom of this variety of environmentalism by evangelicals. It isn't as loopy as tree-hugging, but I'm not sure it is a wise or prudent tact. It might gather short-term favor with a few in the academe for a season but will it really come with respect or be seen as a pragmatic move when for instance this or that preacher signs-on to this or that scientific theory? I'm inclined to think Charles Colson has this one correct. and that the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship is a far more balanced and less 'civil religionist' position paper.

NY Times will apparently even sell deceit

The NY Times is apparently willing to even sell deceit. There is a legal term for this and hopefully someone will assist Dr. James Dobson in obtaining punative damages. Here is their ad (and don't even imagine they do not consider the legal implications of the paid ads they receive and run) and Dr. Dobson's response.

Click here to see the ad. http://www.afa.net/pdfs/defcon_religiousright.pdf

Click here to read Dr. Dobson's response to the ad. http://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0039768.cfm

Why is it that people who are in bed with Vegas and State Lotteries and Tax increase vehicles of every conceivable variety are so quick to assume those who have opposed gambling (and done so publicly and at no small cost) are doing just exactly what THEY themselves are doing? Why didn't the newly careful NY Times catch the misinformation? Likely Answer: Like Urban legends and Tabloid news, those who placed the Ad and those that profitted from the sale of the ad WANTED to believe it was true.